Russia plans to fight in Ukraine until 2026, seeks to capture major cities — German intelligence

nv.ua: Russia is formulating a new medium-term war plan, aiming to extend combat operations in Ukraine for another 36 months and capture major cities, according to a Dec. 14 report by the German newspaper BILD, which cites intelligence sources.

BILD writes that Russia's strategic goals by the end of 2024 include the complete occupation of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts and parts of Kharkiv Oblast, extending to the Oskil River.

Russian forces then plan to conquer significant areas of the Zaporizhzhya, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv oblasts by the end of 2026, including the strategic cities of Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Zaporizhzhya, the report says.

German intelligence reports show that there are no immediate plans for Russian advances toward Kherson or Odesa.

The Kremlin aspires to control territories on the left bank of the Dnipro River, positioning the river as a new front in the conflict.

Russia's military is reportedly willing to sustain casualties of up to 100,000 troops per year.

The report adds that Moscow counts on declining Western support for Ukraine and talks about "peace negotiations" to merely simulate a desire for peace. The Kremlin has no intentions for a truce, according to the report.